Chennai Travel Guide

Chennai Info

State: Tamil Nadu

Famous for/as: City

Altitude: 6 m

Pincode: 600001

District: Chennai

Language: Tamil

STD code: 044

Weather: Summer 23 to 37°C, Winter 20 to 28°C

Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu and the fourth largest city in India. Located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is popularly known as ‘the gateway to the South’ as it is the seat of culture and learning in South India. Hailed as the automobile capital of India, Chennai is the third largest commercial and industrial hub of India.

As per folk lore, the name ‘Chennaipattinam’ arrived from the Chenna Kesava Perumal temple. It is also believed that the region was named after Damarla Chennappa Nayakudu, who was the Nayaka of Kalahasthi and Vandavasi. Several tools related to the Stone Age recovered from Pallavaram of Chennai, by the Archaeological Survey of India, points to the fact that Chennai region held a megalithic cultural establishment.

The recorded history of Chennai can be dated back to 1st century AD, when it was regarded as an important military and economic hub. Later Chennai was ruled by many South Indian dynasties like the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagara. The Portuguese arrived at Chennai during 1522 and they were followed by the Dutch in 1612.

The British East India Company came to Chennai in 1639. It was the adjacent village of Madraspattinam that was chosen as the place to settle in by the British. The town of George Town, with the fort of St. George became their stronghold in the South. George Town was granted its first municipal charter in 1688, which makes it the oldest municipal corporation in India.

In the 17th century, Madraspattinam and Chennaipattinam were merged by the British and it was renamed as Madraspattinam. By the end of 18th century, most of Tamil Nadu came under their control. Under British rule Chennai was transformed to become a major urban centre and naval base in South India. It was in 1996 that ‘Madras’ or ‘Madraspattinam’ was renamed as ‘Chennai’ by the Tamil Nadu State Government.

Chennai, today, is one of the major tourist destinations in South India. Chennai is famous for its temples and churches which are considered as fine examples of architecture and craftsmanship. Parthasarathy Temple, Kaapaleshwar temple, Ashtalakshmi temple, Santhome Cathedral Basilica, Velankanni Church, etc. are some of the famous religious attractions in Chennai.

The highlight of Chennai tourism is its beaches. Chennai is home to one of the longest urban beaches in the world, Marina Beach, which is 12 km long. The months from November to March are the best time to visit Chennai, when the weather is pleasant.

The city also enjoys a vibrant culture, which is an amalgamation of the old and new. Of the many festivals celebrated, Tamil New Year is one of the biggest. It is celebrated by locals with great pomp and fervour. Festivities, feasting and giving gifts mark the occasion. The festival is also known as Puthandu in many parts of Tamil Nadu. Tamil New Year is considered an auspicious time by Tamilians to start something new.

Anna International Airport lies 7 km south of Chennai. The airport is connected by several international airlines including Air India, British Airways, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Air Lanka and Malaysia Airlines. Pre-paid taxis and airport coaches are available at the airport.

Chennai has three major railway stations - the Chennai Central is the biggest, Egmore station and Tambaram station. For quick access across the city, the recently introduced north-south MRTS (Mass Rapid Transport System) can be boarded. Chennai Central and Egmore are the main railway stations that link north and west India, respectively with south India.

At Chennai, most government bus services for Tamil Nadu which is TSTC and other private buses ply to all the cities in the state. The interstate bus service now operates from the newly opened Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyembedu and is believed to be the largest bus station in Asia. Private bus services along with deluxe Volvo bus services are available from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Cochin and Coimbatore.

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Chennai Traveller Reviews

Hottest place in Tamilnadu. If you have money then you can enjoy your chennai life. What more to say, there's nothing to see. World's largest beach, big shopping malls and cheapest shopping area thats all. I travel to Chennai every weekend for official purpose.

I mainly wanted to say that Chennai Central Station is probably the nicest train station in the whole of India! It has ample seating for anyone waiting for a train, and best of all there are quite a few shops and food stalls - there was even a bookshop selling Penguin Classics!

This was a 4 day business trip along with family. After the work during the day, we visited relatives in the evening or went out to have good food (especially seafood) and caught up on some good tamil movies running at the time. The La Marina restaurant has some brilliant seafood and a must visit for Chennai.

This is the best place to explore in South-India. With beaches, temples and hangout places all around, Chennai will never disappoint you. I frequently visit this place whenever I have some time. Though the temperature is damn humid, you will get adjusted in a day or two. The Ambur style biryani is a must try in this city. The spicy masala will make you cherish the taste for decades. Dont forget to taste the special Jigarthanda that is available at murugan idli kadai outlets.

Chennai is one of the beautiful and oldest city in India, more over a metropolitan city. The police in Chennai are very helpful to us to give any information and security. Hotels are good and food is very tasty. Selected hotels are hygienic. But city is polluted with air and noise extremely. Too much traffic and Metro rail work is very much disturbing while travelling.

Chennai is a beautiful city with rich cultural heritage and a good atmosphere 4 student academics except the language hindrance. We can visit the beaches and many historical places and shopping malls like phoenix mall, Skywalk etc. Food was good, must give a try. Beware of the cabs and auto driver because they charge more and they were quite stubborn than the other part of the country and very rude guys.

Very nice city. It is reflected in its rich cultural scene. You'll find serious theatre as well as the glitz and glamour of Kollywood. Chennai is also an important center for the Bharatanatyam, a local form of classical dance. Visit in January, for the festival of Pongal.

Chennai is a nice place, but for its weather. It has a nice sea beach (longest in Asia). The beach is much cleaner than my earlier visits. There is a nice beach front drive. The roads are nice. Infact some flyovers are too good. You get good food (of all types, not only idli-dosa), You have nice weekend getaways like mahab and pondy. But except for few days in August and December, the climate is too bad for any sightseeing

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